Rewiring the Literacy Block

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Rethinking Creative Thinking
  • The Literacy Block Needs Brain-Rewiring
    • New learning is developed and enhanced when it is applied to a variety of contexts (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; Brinkman, 2010).
    • The learning context and environment affect the way the brain structures itself and develops (NRC, 2000).
    • The brain prunes itself to increase efficiency (Willis, 2007).
    • While creative thinking/creativity is distinctly different from critical thinking, both are skills that 21st century citizens need to be successful (Treffinger et al., 2006)

Creative Processes

  • Fluency

    • Generating as many ideas as possible within a category or idea.
    • Not all of the words need to fit perfectly inside each category, but you should try to create ideas that stretch your thinking.
    • Example
      • Think of as many types of time as you can.

  • Flexibility

    • Creative thinking involves looking at something from a variety of points of view.
    • Examples
      • Think of the different people that might use quarters. How might each person use them
      • Think of as many different uses for a fork as you can.

  • Originality

    • Originality operates within each of the aspects of creativity.
    • Original responses represent a statistically significant different idea as compared to all other generated ideas.
    • Example
      • When asked the different types of wind, a "gale" or "gust" is less original than "windbreaker" or "window."

  • Elaboration

    • Elaboration involves adding details to given ideas to create a new idea.
    • Example
      • When given juggler + school safety, an elaboration to generate a new idea = a juggler can come to school to promote school safety.
      • juggler + school safety = juggling your books carefully can create a safer hallway


Creative Thinking in the Literacy Block

...writing literature is an exercise of the imagination. And so is reading it. We have to bring our imaginations to bear on a story if we are to see all its possibilities; otherwise it's just about somebody who did something. Whatever we take away from stories in the way of significance, symbolism, theme, meaning, pretty much anything except character and plot, we discover because our imagination engages with that of the author."
Thomas C. Foster ~ How to Read Literature Like a Professor

  • The processes of creative thinking are remarkably similar to the process of making meaning during reading.
    • How many inferences can you draw in the following passage?
      • He put down $10.00 at the window. The woman behind the window gave $4.00. The person next to him gave him $3.00, but he gave it back to her. So, when they went inside, she bought him a large bag of popcorn. (Example from: When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers)

  • Consider what you think is happening in this text. How did you arrive at your interpretation?

    • Did you brainstorm all of the places windows could be? (fluency)
    • What connections between ideas did you elaborate upon to arrive at your interpretation? (window and popcorn)
    • How many different alternatives did you consider before drawing your final conclusion? (flexibility)
    • When did you decide that the action most likely takes place at a movie theater instead of a spaceship? (originality)